Continuous apparatus for making butter



Aug. 21, 1951 c. E. NORTH 2,564,715

CONTINUOUS APPARATUS FOR MAKING BUTTER Filed Sept. 26, 1946 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm wk MN INVENTOR. (liar/es i. Nari/ HI'JWRAFY.

Aug. 21, 1951 Y C. E. NORTH CONTINUOUS APPARATUS FOR MAKING BU'IYIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 26, 1946 I INVENTOR. (harks 1?. Norm Patented Aug. 21, 1951.

UNITED STATES PATE T- OFFICE cou'rmuous APPARATUS FOR MAKING BUT-ran.

7 Charles a. norm, Montclair, N. J. Application September as, 194s,'seriai No. $99,520

ZClaims. 1.

This invention relates to the making of butter from fluid cream, and it is the object of themvention to provide an improved apparatus for making butter from fluid cream.

In the making of butter from fluid cream chan in the fluid cream into butter is not a simple procedure but is marked by several abrupt changes of the constituents of the cream. Fluid cream as is well known'is composed of water holding in solution milk solids, milk sugar and salts and the proteins, casein, albumen and lecithin, constituting emulsifying agents, in colloidal form. It also holds in suspension fine particles or globules of milk fat which are emulsified by the coating and union of the fat globules with the emulsifying agents.

When fluid cream is agitated in the presence of air, for example, by dashers in a box or barrel, the cream changes in due time to a flufiy mass impregnated .with air in the form of bubbles, and the water or liquid content of the cream is no longer free but is encased in the flufiy mass called "whipped cream.

In carrying out the initial step in the present invention fluid cream is continuously fed into a zone substantially devoid of .air and is caused to be displaced and passed through said zone by cream fed therein. .The cream in its passage through said zone is subjected to a whip-- ping action. The whipping action converts the cream into a semi-solid or plastic state, herein called "plastic cream. The-whipping action also causes the fat globules which are dispersed through the fluid cream to unite and assemble themselves into chains, clusters and loops to form a network surrounding relatively large spaces containing water or liquid content of the cream therein.

The distinguishing features between so-called whipped cream and "plastic cream have been emphasized because in the continuous process of making butter from fluid cream in accordance with the present invention the converting of the fluid cream into plastic cream constitutes an essential feature of the invention.

2 paddles in its passage through said second zone. The mixture of granules and masses of butteriat globules are displaced from said second zone by the delivery therein of the plastic cream displaced from the whipping zone. A Then the buttermilk is drained from the mixture and the granules and masses of hutteriat granules are washed. The washed mixture is then worked -In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification there is shown apparatus for carrying out the invention, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the means for converting fluid cream into a plastic state and for changing the latter into butter and buttermilk Figure 3 is a modified arrangement of the means for converting fluid creaminto a plastic state and for changing the latter into butter and buttermilk. Y

Figure 4 is a face view of a member or element of a series of elements for subjecting fluid cream to a whipping action in the whipping zone to convert fluid cream into a plastic state adapted to be fixed on a shaft to rotate therewith.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 of an element of another series of'elements for subjecting fluid cream to a whipping action and convert A successive step in carrying out the invention is the continuous delivery of the plastic cream as it is displaced from the whipping zone into and passing. the same through a second agitating zone substantially devoid of air. In the second zone the fat globules are agglomerated into granules and masses of fat and the plastic cream is changed into a mixture of granules and masses of butterfat globules and buttermilk by subjecting the plastic. cream to the. beating action of fluid cream into a plastic state adapted to be fixed at peripheral portions to a frame to rotate therewith.

Figures 6' and 7 are sectional views taken substantially on the lines 6-6 and -|-1 of Figures 4 and 5 respectively.

Figure8 is a side elevation of a heater paddle of one series of said elements in the zone for changing the plastic cream into butter and buttermilk.

Figure 9 is a viewsimilar to Figure 8 of a beater paddle of another-series of said elements.

arranged for securing the same at peripheral portions to a frame to rotate therewith; and

Figures 10 and 11 are views looking at the side of Figures 8 and 9 respectively.

-In carrying out the invention the fluid cream is cooled to a temperature of from 40 to 48 degrees F. and filled into a tank 8. The side wall of tank 8 is provided with a jacket 8' for the circulation of a cooling medium to maintain the cream in cooled condition. The fluid cream is fed from the tank by a pump, shown in a conventional manner at I 9, into' and through a chamber in a closed cylindrical casing l0 constituting the whipping zone and having -means therein operative to agitate the fluid cream and through a pipe or conduit I! connected to anoutlet from the end of the casing ll opposite the end with the inlet and to an inlet to one end of a chamber in a second casing". The plastic cream fed into thechamber in casing It fills said chamber and thus said casing chamber is substantially devoid of air. The fat content of the fat globules in the plastic cream in its e through said casing chamber I4 is agglomerated into granules and and the plastic cream is changed into a mixture of butterfat granules and buttermilk by subjecting the same to the beating action of revolvable paddles. The chamber of casing it constitutes the second agitating none.

The mixture of butterfat granules and buttermilk in the casing chamber I4 is discharged through a conduit ll. onto one end portion of a travelling perforated belt conveyer II. The conveyer belt is supported by a pair of rotatable drums II, it one of which drums is driven from a suitable source of power. The drum II is in a higher horizontal I plane than the drum I I to have the conveyer in a plane inclining from the drum II to the drum it. The conveyer supporting drums are rotatably supported in the upper portion of a tank it also inclining in the direction of inclination of the conveyor and is separated by a transverse partition It into two compartments. The buttermilk as it is discharged with the granules and masses of butterfat globules onto the conveyer and is transported by the conveyer drains into one compartment of the tank I I from which it is withdrawn through a valve controlled outlet member II. The butterfat granules from which the buttermilk has been drained as they are transported by the conveyer are washed by subjecting the same to streams of water from a spray head 22 connected to a cold water supply. The wash water drains from the butterfat granules into the other compartment in the tank it from which it is withdrawn through a valve controlledoutlet member 28. The partition II prevents the mixing of the wash water with the buttermilk in the tank It. The washed butterfat granules are delivered from the conveyer into a chute 24 whereby they are directed into a hopper inlet member 2! to means for working the butter. As shown this butter working means consists of an elongated cylindrical housing It to one end of which the hopper inlet member ll opens. The housing inclines upwardly at a slight angle to the horinontal from said end and rotatably supports screw conveyer means 21 therein. The lower end ofthehousingisclosedandisarrangedwitha valve controlled outlet member 28 at said end for withdrawing water from the conveyer housing.

Transverse partitions spaced along the housing and a closure at the opposite end of the housing are arranged with openings or perforations, as indicated at ll, through which the butter is forced as it is fed by the conveyer screw. The conveyer screw and the partitions and end closure separate occluded or entrained water and buttermilk from the butter. or work water into the butter, the butter being dilchli fl from the conveyer housing through the perforations in the end closure 30.

InFigure2thereisillustratedinsectionthe casings II and It and the means operative therein for converting fluid cream into plastic cream and in continuous sequence agglomerate the fat globules in the plastic cream into granules and massesand change the plastic cream into a mixture of ,butte'rfat granules and buttermilk. The casings II and it are supported in either vertical or horizontal position. but preferably in horizontal position. The structure of the casings I! and i4 is the same, each including a cylindrical body having heads ii, 82 closing the opposite ends. The head 32 of casing II has an inlet to v which the pump connecting pipe I! is connected.=

Theheadll of easing llhastheoutlctconnected by the pipe I! to the inletinhead I! of casing it. The outlet in head II of the latter casing it h connected to-the discharge conduit II. The cylindricalbodyofeachcasingisprovidedwitha Jacket It for the circulation ofa cooling medium.

and each of the casing heads ii, i! is arranged with .an outwardly extending trunnion N, I, respectively, formounting the casings in supports s.

Two sets or series of a itotora'herein called whippers, in the form of dhks t8 and 84 (Figv.ures 4 to 7) are rotatably mounted in the whipper casing II with the disks II of one series alternately disposed with and spaced from the disks as of the other series and each-series of disks havingindcpcndentrotationontheaxisofthe casing. Eachofthedisksllisarrangedwithan axial hub ll whereby they are mounted on a shaft II with the hubs abutting and predeterminedly spacing the disks along the shaft and securedtotheshafttorotatetherewithinplanes atarightangletothcaxisoftheshaftasbya key in the disk hubs engagin a keyway in the shaft and the hubs carrying the end disks secured to the shaft, as by a set screw. to hold the disks against axial displacement on the shaft.

'lheshaftllisjmirnalledatoneendinand roiects through the trunnion of the head 32 of the casing.

Thedisks a and Il'arearrangedwithradially extending flutes or corrugations equidistantly spaced about the disks and shown as four in number. The corrugations are of V-form of progressively increasing cross section or width outwardly from the axis to the periphery of the disks with the sides opening to a surface of the disks, as at It. The portions of the disks between the corrugations are of arcuateform in cross section with the concave face thereof at the side of the disks from which the wall of the corrugations projects, and the peripheral portion of said disk portions is crimped or flanged. as at 31. to extend laterally from the convex face of said disk portions and arrangin the same substantially to scallop form.

The disks it are provided with an enlarged axialopening,insteadofahubasthedisksfl, for the engagement of the hubs of disks it and are fixed at peripheral portions to a frame rotatable in the casing II and supporting the disks 14 in interposed relation and spaced from the disksranged with an elongated trunnion I iournalled in and projecting from the trunnion of easing headil andtheshaftllhasapilotbearingll I in said head. 'Iheframe heads are connected by diametrically opposite bars 39 fixed at the opposite ends to the heads and the disks are fixed to said bars by angle brackets fixed to diametrically opposite portions at the periphery of the disks 33, as at 40. Thedisks .33 and 34 are assembled with the faces from which the V wall of the corrugations project opposed to the casing head 32 having the inlet to the casing, and with the projecting wall of the corrugations of successive disks opposed to theopen side of the corrugations of preceding disks. The disk carrying frame and shaft 35 and therewith the disks 33 are rotated in opposite directions from a suitable source of power, and shown as electric motors M, one operatively connected to the end of the shaft 35 projecting from the trunnion 65 of casing head 32 and the other connected to the projecting end of the trunnion 68 of the frame head 38.

The flow of the fluid cream through the casing II! as it is fed therein by the pump is opposed by the disks 33 and 34. However, the disks are of less diameter than the internal diameter of the casing with the result that the pressure of the cream causes thecream to flow about the periphcry of the disks and radially inward relative to the channels of the corrugations of the disks and then caused to flow radially outward relative to the portions of the disks between the corrugations which flow is retarded by the flanges or crimps at the periphery of said portions of the disks. The rotation of the two series of disks in opposite directions imparts a whipping action to the fluid cream converting it into a plastic state and the friction ;between,the disks and cream resulting from the rotation of the disks and the alternate to and fro movement imparted to the cream breaking the adhesion between the butterfat' globules and the colloid of emulsifying constituents of the cream and causing the butterfat globules, which are substantially solid due to the cooling of the cream to a temperature of 48 F., toass'emble and unite in chains and the chains of butterfat globules to form clusters and loops surrounding relatively large spaces encasing and enmeshing the liquid content of the cream. The plastic cream is displaced in the casing I from the inlet end to the outletend and discharged from the casing through the outlet by the continuous feeding of the fluid cream into the casing.

A shaft and a frame similar to the shaft 35 and frame 31', 38, 39 are rotatably mounted in the casing l4 and rotated in opposite directions by motors operatively connected to the projecting end of the shaft 35 and trunnion 68 of the frame head 38 projecting from the trunnion 6 4 ofthe casing head 3| as described and said elements have been given the same reference characters. As stated, the plastic cream displaced from the casing I0 is fed or dischargedcontinuously into the casing I4 and the material is displaced from the latter by the continuous feeding of the plastic cream'therein so that the casing is filed with material and substantially devoid of air. The plastic cream in its passage through the casing of paddles or blades and thereby agglomerating the'fat globules of the plastic cream into granules and masses and changing the plastic cream into butter and buttermilk. For this purpose paddles or blades 4| of one series of paddles or blades are fixed to or integral with and extend radially from for engagement with and whereby the paddles 43 are secured to the frame bars 39 to extend radi ally inward from said'bars in interposed spaced relation to the paddles 4|. The width of the paddles or blades extend in planes parallel of the axis of rotation of the frame and shaft and the direction of flow of material-in the casing. The paddles 4| and 42 are provided with openings or perforations whereby as the paddles are rf'e- I4 is subjected to the beating action or impacts hubs 10 whereby they are mounted on the shaft 4 with the hubs in endwise juxtaposed'relation and volved and-impact against the plastic cream the liquid or water content thereof will pass through said perforations and facilitate the agglomerating of the fat globules of the plastic cream and changing of the plastic cream into a mixture of butterfat granules and buttermilk.

In the operation of the apparatus shown; in Figure 2 the disk and blade carrying shaftsifl and the disk and blade carrying frames 31', 38, 33' are rotated simultaneously in opposite directions. Fluid cream is then pumped into the casing; Ill and forced therethrough relative to the rotating disks 33, 34. The direction of flow of the cream is casing |0 in against the faces of the rotating disks. As the fluid creamis passed through casing ID the fluid cream is changed through the action of the disks 33, 34 into plastic cream and as such is discharged from the casing l0 into cas ing l4 and forced therethrough relative to the revolving blades 4|, 42 which act on the plastic cream to agglomerate the fat content thereof into granules and masses of fat and changes it into a mixture of butterfat granules and masses and buttermilk. The direction of flow of the material through casing I4 is parallel to or across the faces of the revolving blades. The mixture of butter fat granules and buttermilk is discharged from casing |4 onto a travelling conveyer and as the mixture is transported thereby the buttermilk drains from the butter granules and the butter granulesare washed. Due to the continuous feeding of the fluid creaminto and continuously through the casing l0, and the continuous discharge of the plastic cream from casing Ill into casing l4, both of these casings will be substantially fllled at all times with the material undergoing treatment. The changing of fluid cream into plastic cream and of plastic cream into agglomerated butter granules and buttermilk, therefore, will take place in zones substantially devoid of air.

In Figure 3 there is illustrated a modified form of the apparatus for making butter from fluid cream'by converting the fluid cream into plastic cream and in continuous sequence agglomerating the butterfat granules of the plastic cream into granules and masses and change the plastic 7 cream into granules of butte'rfat and buttermilk.

for the discharge of the material from the casing, and each of said heads having an outwardly ex-' tending trunnion If, It, respectively. The end portion of the casing to which the inlet opens and extending for something less than one-half the length of the casing constitutes the whipping none in which the fluid cream is converted into a plastic state. The end portion of the casing to which the outlet opens and extending for something less than one-half the length of the casing constitutes the zone in which the plastic cream is agitated to 'agglomerate the butterfat globules of the plastic cream into granules and m and change the plastic cream into a mixture of butterfat granules and buttermilk.

A shaft 88 has mounted on one end portion thereof disposed in the whipping zone disks ll similar in construction and arrangement to the disks 83 and the mounting thereof on the shaft Si in the casing l0. Paddles or blades ii are mounted on the opposite end portion of the shaft II to be disposed in the agitating zone for changing the plastic cream into butterfat granules and buttermilk similar to the paddles ll and the mounting thereof on the shaft in the casing ll. One end of the shaft I! is iournalled in and proiected through the trunnion If of easing head II. A frame including a head If rotatably supported upon the shaft l and a head It having an axially extending trunnion ll iournalled in and extending through the trunnion ll of casing head I! and in which head one end of the shaft II has a pilot bearing 18. The frame heads are connected by bars it connected at the ends to diametrically opposite portions of said heads. Disks II, similar in construction and arrangement to the disks N, are connected to the bars 5! in the whippin zone in a manner similar to the connecting of the disks 34 to the frame bars 3! inthecasing II withthedisksl. disposedbetween and spaced from the disks It. Paddles '02 similar in structure to the paddles 42 are connected to and carried by the frame bars I in the portion of the casing ll constituting the zone in which the plastic cream is changed into butteri'at granules and buttermilk in a manner similartoconnectingthepaddlestotheframein .theeasinglldisposedbetweenandspacedfrom Thediskandpaddle carryingthe paddles ti. shaftllandthedis'kandpaddlecarryin frame I, II, It arerotated in opposite directions from a suitable source of power, such as electric motors 1! connected to the projecting end of the shaft II and the projecting end of the trunnion ll of the frame head ll.

The operation of the apparatus shown in Figure 3 issimiiar to thatshown in Figure 2. The shaft II and the disk and paddle or blade carrying frame II, It. II are rotated in opposite directions. thefluidcreampassingthroughthecasinginlet into the casing it between the disks which act on the fluid cream to change or convert it into plastic cream. The plastic cream passes relative to the revolving blades ii, 02 which act to change the plastic cream into a mixture of agglomerated butterfat granules and buttermilk which is discharged through the outlet of the casing. The casing II is maintained substantially full of the material undergoing treatment and thus substantially devoid of Investigation has demonstrated that the greatest eiilciency is obtained in the production of plastic cream by agitation of the fluid cream continuously passed through a casing and subjectin: the same to the action of disks with alternate disks rotating in opposite directions in planes substantially at a right angle to the direction of flow of the cream. The surfaces of the disks should be solid, that is, have no openings through which the cream may flow. The efficiency of the disks is according to the smoothness of the surfaces of the disks. For instance, disks which are radially fluted or corrugated with the portions between the corrugations arranged to slightly concave form in-cross section with the peripheral portion thereof crimped or flanged laterally in the direction of the convex surface of said portions and the concavity against the direction of flow of the fluid cream are more emcient than those with smooth surfaces. The rapidity at which the disks are rotated is also important and for most purposes it has been found that rotating the disks at from 750 to 2000 revolutions per minute is suitable. The disks may he rotated at higher or lower speeds, but greater efficiency of operation and treatment of the cream is obtained within the range mentioned. Control of temperature is also necessary during the stages of whipping and agglomerating of the fat globules of the plastic cream into granules and masses and this should be less than that of the melting point of the butter fat, 2. temperature within the range of from 40 to degrees Fahrenheit being suitable.

The following example will illustrate the steps of carrying out my invention of making butter from fluid cream. In carrying out the flrst step there is utilized a casing, such as the casing It, three inches in diameter and fifteen inches in length and rotating the disks therein at 1200 revolutions per minute. The fluid cream having a forty per cent butter fat content and maintained at approximately 48 degrees F. is passed through the casing under a pressure of fifteen pounds per square inch and converted into plastic cream in fifteen seconds, or at the rate of 800 pounds per hour.

In carrying out the second step of my invention of making butter from fluid cream; that is, agglomerating the fat globules of the plastic cream into granules and masses and converting the plastic cream into a mixture of butter granules and buttermilk, there is utilized a second casing, such as the casing II, in the arrangement of Figure 2, said latter casing also having a diameter of three inches and fifteen inches in length and rotating the paddles or blades therein at 1200 revolutions per minute. The plastic cream discharged from the casing III in continuone, sequence and while maintained at a temperature of approximately 48 degrees F. is passed through the casing I under a pressure of fifteen pounds per square inch and converting the plastic cream to a mixture of butter granules and buttermilk by the action of the blades at substantially the same rate the fluid cream is converted into plastic cream. The 800 pounds of plastic cream produced and discharged from the casing It is passed through the casing it per hour and producing approximately 400 pounds of butter perhour. Should the dimensions of casings Ill and ll be increased to a diameter of five inches and twenty-five inches in length then the quantity of fluid cream treated canbe sumcient to produce 1852 pounds of butter per hour.

It has been found that the treatment of the plastic cream can be effected more efllciently by the'use of paddles or blades the faces of which are smooth and parallel to the axis of the casing or direction of flow of the plastic cream therethrough. Said blades not only offer obstruction aeeavie to the flow of the plastic cream, but also the revolving of the blades more efliciently impart impacts to the plastic cream and quickly changes it into butter granules and masses and buttermilk.

lit will be apparent there are several variables in carrying out the invention, all of which must be controlled. Variations in the temperature and in the speed of rotation of the disks. Another variable is the rate at which the material passes through the apparatus. The rate oi flow of the fluid cream into and through the agitating or whipping zone and the flow of the plastic cream through the second agitating zone are dependent upon several factors. For illustrative purposes data has been given for one set of conditions: Diameter and length of the casing, butter fat in the fluid cream, revolutions of disks and blades per minuet; temperature and time of treatment. I do not limit myself to such.v conditions, as increasing the diameter and length of the casing and decrease in the percentage of butter fat in the fluid cream and rotation of the disks and blades necessitate a longer period of treatment; that is, a lower rate of flow of the material. The requisite rate of flow can be readily determined for a given set of conditions and should be maintained substantially constant and may be controlled by the pump.

In the arrangement of Figure 3 wherein the zone in which the fluid cream is converted into plastic cream is arranged at one end portion of the casing 59, and the zone wherein the plastic cream is converted into a mixture of butter granules and buttermilk is arranged at the opposite end portion of the casing. To produce approximately 409 pounds of butter per hour the casing is three inches in diameter and approximately thirty inches long, and the disks and blades are rotated at 1200 revolutions per minute.

The fluid cream is fed into and passed through the casing under a pressure of fifteen pounds per square inch, and the fluid cream is converted into plastic cream and the latter into a mixture of butterfat granules and buttermilk in thirty seconds. The cream is maintained while under treatment at a temperature of approximately 48 degrees F. By an increase in the diameter and length of the casing an increased quantity of fluid cream may be fed into the casing and treated andproduce a proportionally increased quantity of butter.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In apparatus for making butter from fluid cream, a cylindrical casing for fluid cre having an inlet to one end and an outlet in the opposite end, two members extending longitudinally oi? the casing and rotatable independently of each other, two series of spaced disk members on said members in said casing, each disk member arranged with radiefil flutes spaced e uidistantly about the same and the peripheral portion oi the disk member between the flutes crimped laterally, and means to contmuously rotate the two members and series of disk members in opposite directions.

2. In apparatus for making butter, an elongated cylindrical casing for fluid cream having an inlet to one end and an outlet from the opposim end, a shaft and a' frame mountedin the casing to extend longitudinally of the casing and have independent rotation, disks having circumferentially spaced radial flutes in one face thereof and the peripheral portions of the disks between the flutes crimped laterally to extend from the face in which the flutes are arranged, said disks being closely spaced from each other and extending inward from the inlet end of the casing and alternate disks mounted on the shaft and frame to rotate therewith, radial blades spaced inward from the outlet end of the casing and alternate blades mounted on the shaft and frame to rotate therewith, the faces of said blades extending substantially parallel of the shaft and spaced from one another with the edges in close proximity, and motive means for continuously rotating said shaft and frame with the disks and blades in opposite directions.

C 13. NORTH.

RE i XENQES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA 

